


Season 2 Drabbles

by anthfan



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-01-31
Updated: 2014-07-01
Packaged: 2018-01-10 15:27:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 22,803
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1161430
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anthfan/pseuds/anthfan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A collection of drabbles based off of season two eps. Some speculation fics written before the episode came out, some reaction fics written after they were over. Originally posted on tumblr and other sites. Cross posted here.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This one was written during the hiatus between season 1 and season 2. Based off the season 2 trailer when all we knew was Isabel Rochev's name and that she would be an adversary for Oliver.**

Felicity approached him almost cautiously, until she was only a couple of feet from him.

"She offered me a job." she said, voice clipped.

Oliver just nodded, unable to look at her. It was what he had feared, and expected. "Well, she takes the best, and you are...the best." at her slight intake of breath his eyes shot up.

"The position..." Felicity stuttered and tried again, "The position was head of IT."

Oliver's eyebrows shot into his hair line. That wasn't something he should be able to counter. Queen Consolidated was currently in shambles, higher level executives had been leaving in droves and he had been advised by numerous people to not do any restructuring. Hiring new blood would be acceptable, but he needed to leave his remaining employees where they were.

He'd ignore all of it for her though.

"Felicity..."

She interrupted him. "I know. I know you can't do that."

He could see how much she struggled with this. She'd always been loyal, she'd always been committed. But she was also brilliant, and motivated, and had never sat on the sidelines.

Her hands were wringing in front of her now, as she blinked up at him. "What did you tell her?" he asked hoarsely.

Her head ducked to look at the floor and his stomach dropped at the implication. "It's a huge step for my career. But...the hours would be more than I'm working now doing  _both_  my jobs. The responsibility, and the transparency I would have to have would put me under high scrutiny."

A pit formed in his center as he realized what she was telling him. He wouldn't just be losing her from Queen Consolidated, he'd be losing her entirely.

He felt numb. He'd disappeared for five months to heal from Tommy and get his head back on straight. He didn't know what he'd return to, but walking back into the newly redesigned lair told him everything he needed to know about Felicity. She'd never given up on him. She knew he'd come back, and she knew he'd continue his mission. He'd left her a million dollars to appease his guilt and she'd spent it on him; on them.

He never thought he'd be doing it without her.

"I understand." he told her, his voice adopting that smooth, professional quality that she hated.

Her eyes flashed to his. "I don't think you do."

A tendril of...something spiraled north. "What do you mean?"

Felicity took a deep breath before she answered. "I told her no."

Hope was the something and it suddenly sprang to life, surging within him. "Why?"

"I told her I had family obligations." she whispered, and the weight of her choice of words settled around them. "I told you once before. You're not leaving, I'm not leaving. I'm all in, Oliver. What we do...it's more important than my career, it's more important than being poached by a corporate head hunter, it's more important than..."

His hand clamped over her wrist and stopped her from finishing that sentence, "Don't say it. It's not more important than your life." he practically growled, he wasn't going to let anyone else die for him, especially not her.

She gave him a sad smile and lifted a hand to brush over his temple. "I was going to say, it's more important than a signing bonus, but I'm glad to know you care." she gave him a half a smile, trying to swing the tone of the conversation.

"I do care." at his words she stilled and the smile slipped from her face, "I care more than you could possibly know."

"Oliver..." she said breathily, and before he could blink he found himself with an armful of blonde IT girl.

He didn't hesitate before holding her to his chest and taking the first real breath since his return.

"I missed you." she mumbled into his suit jacket.

"I'm sorry I left," he replied, hands coasting up and down the smooth blue fabric of her dress.

Her head rocked slowly back and forth, "No, you needed to. I understood. But I still missed you, missed what we did, missed being with..." she cut herself off when she thought she'd said too much.

"Me too." he whispered into her hair.

"Excuse me. I didn't mean to interrupt." came a voice from behind them, and Felicity turned quickly, Oliver's arms still around her.

Isabel Rochev stood in the doorway to his office, an inscrutable expression on her face.

Oliver stepped back slightly, a pang of regret when he was no longer touching Felicity.

"I'm sorry, I just wanted to thank Ms. Smoak for her time." Isabel said easily.

"Of course. Ms. Rochev, It was a pleasure meeting you, and thank you...for the offer." Felicity said in a rush.

"I understand." Isabel replied and then let her eyes cut over Oliver. "Family obligations." the implication in her look and tone was unmistakeable. "Mr. Queen, until next time."

He didn't move until he could no longer see Isabel in the outer office. When he turned to Felicity she was flushed pink and avoiding his gaze.

"I'm sorry, if she thinks that we're...or you and I, and we're not I just didn't think. I thought it would be the easiest thing and that no one would question it, and..."

Oliver's hands dropped onto her upper arms and fell down to take both her hands in his, "Felicity, it's alright, I don't care what she thinks." he could feel the tension leave her as she took a deep breath and sighed.

"She's determined to gut Queen Consolidated." Felicity warned him,

"I know. But when have you ever known me to go down without a fight."

She gave him a brilliant grin, "Never."

"Exactly. I think we have bigger concerns than Isabel Rochev, don't you." he walked easily back to his desk feeling lighter than he had in a while and took a seat.

Felicity didn't hesitate, she followed in his wake and hopped up on the corner of the desk, ignoring the other chair completely. As she began to detail some ideas she'd had about ways to protect his company, and by default his secret identity, he sat back and let the ebb and flow of her words wash over him, glad to be back.

 


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: This one was written when the stills first came out for 2x01. Based off of one where Oliver has his back to Felicity and Digg on the island. At that point we knew they went to the island to find him, but nothing else. So obviously non canon now, but a spec drabble when it was written.**

**Enjoy!**

 

 

How'd you find me?" his voice was terse and he didn't turn even though he knew they were behind him.

He heard Felicity's small gasp at being detected. She probably thought they'd been careful, and, to be honest they had been. He'd only caught the scent of her shampoo ten minutes earlier and he knew Digg would never have allowed her to come looking for him on her own.

Oliver expected Digg to be the one to answer him, so when it was Felicity who responded instead his head came up.

"Where else would you go?" she said, and he could almost see the one shouldered shrug that went with the words.

"You shouldn't be here, it's dangerous." he ground out, as his thoughts were now consumed by how long they'd been tracking him, where else they'd gone, any danger she'd been in on this ill advised quest.

"It's dangerous in Starling City!" she threw back, fire in her voice that he'd only heard a few times before.

He busied his hands with the supplies on the table before him. If he had something to focus on he wouldn't be tempted to turn around and look at her. Because ever since he'd caught her scent the only thing he'd been able to think about was seeing her again.

"Did you ever think I came here for a reason?" there was a break in his tone he wasn't proud of and he had to grab the edge of the table to keep himself still.

He heard movement and knew she'd come closer. He shut his eyes tight in an attempt to keep himself under control.

"I know why you came, Oliver." her voice was softer now, and he caught himself starting to turn towards her but jerked his body to a halt.

There was a long pause where neither of them spoke. The intake of breath she took was audible, and then she was saying the words that broke though.

"It's time to come home."

With a ragged exhale he pivoted, hands clenched at his side. She was five feet away, glasses, ponytail, biting her lip with worry, but standing her ground. He hadn't realized how much he'd missed her.

Something must have shown in his face because the next thing he knew she was launching herself at him. He caught her on reflex, her arms wrapping around his neck. He automatically held her to his chest, and he couldn't help shutting his eyes and dropping his face into her hair as emotions he'd been ignoring for far too long roared inside him. The fact that he'd done what he had and she still felt him worthy of touch was something he couldn't understand.

"The company's a mess, the city's falling apart, your sister's a wreck, Digg's missing Carly, there was so much damage to the lair, Lance got demoted, and Laurel's obsessed with finding the Hood." she'd begun babbling as soon as she caught her breath and now she couldn't seem to stop. He could feel her lips brush his neck as she spoke.

"The company needs you, the city needs you, Thea needs you, I ..." he heard what she hadn't said. 'I need you.'

Felicity took a shuddering breath and pulled back so she could see him. He could see the strain around her eyes, and the dark circles and he wondered what she'd been doing.

As if she'd read his mind she answered him, "I've been doing my best. I redid the lair, and I have lunch with Thea a couple times a week, and coffee with Lance in the morning. Carly wants to come back but the Glades is so bad she's scared, and Digg's just been more growly than usual without her around. I've tried to keep track of the new gangs popping up but there's a lot and it's been hard. I'm sorry..." her eyes dropped and it was clear she thought she'd let him down somehow.

"Don't be sorry," he breathed out as he cupped a hand over the back of her head and pulled her in again. He felt her nails scrabble against him as she once again buried her face in his neck. "You didn't have to do all that. You didn't have to..." he could barely speak. She amazed him.

"Somebody had to." she mumbled into him with a little lift of her shoulders. She hadn't meant it to be cutting, but it sliced through him like a hot knife. Guilt and shame flowed through him and all he could do was hold her and apologize.

"Okay," he said finally and she went tense in his arms.

"You'll come home?" she asked timidly, clearly scared he would say no.

"I'll come home." he agreed and her grip got tighter. He ignored the bolt of something that went through him as her lips once again brushed his neck in her enthusiasm.

"I've missed you." she whispered so quietly he wondered if he was meant to hear.

He held her tight a moment longer and then finally looked up to see Digg standing back, taking everything in.

Their eyes met and an understanding passed between them. Without letting go of Felicity he moved forward and held his hand out. Digg took it immediately. "Thank you." Oliver said, and when Digg nodded he knew he understood it wasn't just for coming to bring him back, but keeping Felicity safe while they did.

He selfishly allowed himself one more minute with her arms around his neck and then gently set her down. Her eyes sparkled as she looked up at him, just the knowledge that he would be returning enough to brighten her face.

"Lets go home."

 


	3. 2x14

**A/N: Spoilers ahead if you haven't seen 2x14. Writing high!Felicity is fun. Just had a need for some more time between Digg and Felicity. That man is awesome and deserves all the kudos. And there's some canonesque olicity in here as well.**

**Enjoy!**

The room was doing that soft, wavy thing it did when she'd had too much clear liquor. Gin, vodka, that unfortunate experience with grain her junior year. Her cheek still tingled where Oliver's hand had been and she caught herself humming again. She was happy. She'd just had a bullet wound stitched up but she was happy. Part of her thought that sounded strange, but she was just going to go with it.

There was the sound of someone moving, the footsteps echoing much louder than they should of, and she wondered if her extra sensitive hearing had anything to do with whatever Digg had given her.

She looked up, still smiling to see the man himself standing in front of her, looking down with a barely contained grin.

"How you feeling?"

"Oliver said I'd always be his girl," she couldn't help but smile wider at the memory,

"That right?" Digg replied, hand coming out to cup her uninjured shoulder and keep her steady. "You're swaying, you know."

"I am?" she asked in confusion, pulling back and narrowing her eyes at him, "Maybe you're swaying,"

She looked down and saw the too big shirt was still unbuttoned and she suddenly had a new focus. All her attention was now concentrated on getting her hurt arm through the sleeve.

"Need a hand?"

"Nope. I'm all good. Doesn't even hurt." she said, only feeling the slightest twinge as she slid her arm in slowly, wiggling her fingers at the end and giggling because she could only see the very tips of her painted nails at the end. "Oliver's shirt is too big for me,"

Digg snorted, "Yeah, funny thing, huh?"

"You're funny, John. But I'm mad at you too." she said suddenly, "You blabbed things to Oliver. You didn't need to do that. I'm a big girl. His girl." she repeated, the goofy grin spreading across her face again.

"You can be mad at me." he said easily, "But he needed to know. And sometimes Oliver isn't too good at noticing things that are right in front of him."

"Ha!" she barked out a high, sharp laugh, "That, my friend may be the understatement of the year. No...maybe the decade."

"And maybe he's not the only one," Digg added,

She lifted her head at that and tried to look at him without moving but she wasn't successful. "I...I'm quite sure I don't know what you mean."

"Mmmhmm" was the only response she got and she dropped her attention back to the buttons.

The small pearl circles proved to be worthy adversaries and it took much more time and effort than she ever would have thought to get each one through their holes. At one point she huffed in frustration and maybe whined a bit. Enough that Digg offered to help but she swatted his hand away and turned on the stool petulantly.

When she had succeeded she threw one fist in the air and would have tumbled ungracefully to the ground if Digg hadn't caught her about the waist. "Whoa there, might want to save the celebrations for when you can keep from falling over."

"Now where would the fun be in that? Oh, and I did it. Go me!"

"High accomplishment for someone as intelligent as you," he quipped and looked on with wide eyes as Felicity Smoak stuck her tongue out at him.

"Don't try and bring me down. I did a good thing. I beat that guy at his own game. And I saved Sara, and I even got my very own scar."

He tugged her off the stool, not budging as she fell against him. "I could have done without the last part." and she felt him let out a long sigh,

She wrapped her good arm around his waist and squeezed as hard as she could, "Sorry, Digg," she mumbled into his jacket,

"Everything okay?" Oliver's voice came from behind them and she turned too fast, the lair swooping unexpectedly as Digg steadied her from behind.

"It's good. All good. Digg's not happy I got shotted...shat...shot...He's not happy I got shot. I'm not happy either. That would be a weird thing to be happy about," she said with a distracted shake of her head as Oliver approached.

"I'm not happy you got shot either," he said quietly and there was more going on there than she could understand in the moment.

She saw him lift his eyes to look at Digg over her head and gave an irritated grunt. She hated when they did that.

"I'll go pull the car up so you don't have to walk that far," Digg said, making sure she was steady on her feet before he stepped away.

Oliver came closer, his hands poised to catch her, but she widened her stance and gave him a slightly haughty tilt of her chin.

"I figured you'd be mad at me." she said into the quiet, "I mean, I know you were all growly when you found me on the ground and Sara told you what I had done, but...just a bit ago...I thought you'd be mad and tell me I couldn't go out in the field anymore and…"

"Felicity," he said evenly, hand dropping to her good shoulder effectively cutting off her words, "Seeing you hurt...yes...I wanted to tell you to never step foot outside the lair again. Because you're not supposed to be the one with scars. You're...the best of all of us. You're the heart of this team and...if you think I don't think you capable or that I don't trust you in the field, it's not that. I'm trying to keep you from turning into me."

And even though the drugs she'd been given were working well his words cut straight through and she understood perfectly.

Lifting a hand she shuffled forward and laid it on his chest, "Did you ever think that maybe I'm trying to turn you into me instead?"

She saw his breath catch and a wave of emotion cross his eyes. They simply stared at each other for a long moment until Digg's heavy steps could be heard on the stairs.

She let her hand drop, but Oliver caught it and gave it a squeeze before he let her go.

Digg came up with her bag and a grey hoodie she'd seen Oliver leave on the table earlier. "You ready to go?"

"You're making me go home?" she wasn't tired, she was good, and floaty, and she liked how her and Oliver could have conversations without words. It made her feel warm inside.

"You're going home, Felicity. And no coming in tomorrow either." Oliver ordered and moved to take the hoodie from Digg,

"You're not the boss of me, Oliver Queen," she snapped, finger pointing into his chest, but when he cocked his head to the side and lifted an eyebrow she stopped and thought for a moment. "Okay, well maybe you are. But it doesn't mean you can tell me when I can or can't come to work."

The corners of his mouth lifted and didn't even notice as he draped the hoodie over her shoulders and helped her put her good arm through. "Then why don't you wait and see how you feel in the morning. But if you don't feel up to it, I'll survive one day, I promise."

"You'll run the company into the ground, Oliver. I might be a little late, but I'll be there." she vowed,

Just as she turned away to follow Digg he caught her fingers and pulled her back gently.

She wasn't expecting him to be so close, and then his hand was on her hip and his palm was on her cheek again and his forehead was pressed into hers. "You scared me tonight," he whispered softly and she tried not to shiver as she felt his breath pass over her face.

"Scared me too," she admitted and he sighed, long and low before his lips brushed her temple and then he was setting her back.

"Get some rest," he ordered, and she could feel his eyes on her back as she carefully made her way to the stairs.

Digg waited for her to go ahead of him and she barely remembered how she got to the car.

When she stumbled in the gravel he gave an exasperated growl and picked her up, making her squealed before she let her head fall against his chest. "You're the best, Digg,"

"Funny how I only hear that when I'm carting you around,"

"It's true." she insisted and he just laughed,

When he was setting her into the passenger seat and making sure her seatbelt was on and not hurting her she grabbed his hand and gave it a squeeze.

Digg let out a sigh and crouched in the open door, "You know, part of me thinks you're too damn good for him. And the other part of me thinks you're exactly what he needs."

"Oliver kind of said the same thing." she replied, quite certain Digg had not meant what he'd just said,

"Really?"

"He said I was the best of everyone." she suddenly became sober and studied her hands, "I think he thinks he's going to ruin me, but he can't see that I'm trying to save him instead."

Digg bowed his head, and took both her hands in his, "Well he was right about you being the best of all of us. That's the damn truth."

The ride was quiet and she didn't even notice when the car came to a stop at her apartment. It wasn't until she felt her pillow under her head that she realized where she was.

"I left some more pills on the nightstand, along with your phone. Call if you need anything." he directed and she nodded sleepily,

As she floated, she remembered the satisfaction she'd gotten from taking out Tockman, and the pride she'd felt at saving Sara. But it was Oliver's hand on her cheek, and his lips on her forehead, and the scent of his hoodie that she fell asleep to.


	4. 2x14-Aftermath

**A/N: Just a brief little look at the morning after 2x14. Not to be considered a spec fic for 2x15.**

"You liquidate eight hundred thousand shares of Queen Consolidated stock in an emergency move last night and didn't think I had a right to know?!" the angry, shrill voice of Isabel Rochev was the last thing he wanted to deal with that morning, especially after learning that Slade Wilson was not only still alive, but in Starling.

Oliver pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a long sigh before he sat back in his chair to see her stalking the floor straight for him.

"I told you on the phone, Isabel it was a mistake at the bank that has been corrected. The stock has been repurchased, there is nothing on the open market, and there is nothing to worry about."

She came to a halt only a foot from his desk and tossed a tablet in front of him, "I could honestly care less if you would have lost your controlling shares in the company. In fact, I would have welcomed it. But do you have any idea what this has cost us? Look at how far QC stock has plummeted in just the few hours the markets have been open."

He'd already seen the nosedive the stocks had been taking since Felicity had forced it onto his desktop only half an hour before, complete with a frowny face emoticon and a pop up window that said it wasn't his fault.

"The investors were already nervous, Oliver. How do you think this is going to make them feel?"

"The investors are always nervous, Isabel, that's why they're investors. The stocks will rebound, there will not be any permanent damage. Our earnings for this quarter were higher than projections and the next quarter is looking to do the same. That is what the investors will focus on. Now, if that's all I have work to do."

Her eyes narrowed as she snatched the tablet back, "I'm requesting an audit, and having a press release issued. And don't think for a second I buy any of this." she didn't wait for a reply before she spun on her heels and left his office just as angry as she had come in.

When the click clack of her shoes became muffled on the other side of the door he sank back into his chair and let his eyes fall shut. A wave of tiredness washed over him. He hadn't slept the night before. Too drummed up on adrenaline from the take down of Tockman and Felicity's injury only to go back to the mansion to discover Slade Wilson alive had left him reeling. He wasn't even sure how he'd made it in that morning.

It hadn't gone unnoticed that the meetings he'd remembered being on his schedule had all been canceled, and other than Isabel's unfortunate visit his morning had been quiet.

He knew who he had to thank for his relative peace. Even though he'd told her to take the day off she was there when he'd arrived, paler than usual and moving slow, but she'd given him a tight lipped smile and pretended like they hadn't parted only a few hours earlier.

He spent most of his morning studying her through the glass. She sat stiffly, her right hand laying limp in her lap for the most part while she tried to do most of her typing left handed. He could see by the set of her shoulders she was frustrated at how her injury prevented her from doing even simple things.

Her injury.

He was on his feet and stalking to the far window as he scrubbed a rough hand over the back of his neck. It wasn't just an injury. She'd been shot. Shot. Felicity. It was almost too surreal to believe, except he'd been there. He'd never forget the sight burned into his memory of racing into the room to see Tockman unconscious on the floor, Sara crouched over him, but her eyes locked on the prone form of Felicity ten feet away.

He knew some sort of noise had come from his throat, something raw and unstoppable because for a second she didn't move and he thought the worse.

She was telling him she was okay as he was skidding to his knees at her side, bow dropping to the floor with a clatter. She'd admonished him for that. Wavery voice ranting at him to be more careful with his equipment because she'd spent a long time designing that bow. He didn't bother to tell her she'd designed it to withstand more than an eighteen inch fall. He didn't bother because his eyes were cutting over her wan face and the way her hand was clamped hard on her upper arm, even though the blood was running down her back.

Then Sara had been on her other side, putting pressure on the spot to try and stop the bleeding, because he'd been momentarily struck helpless at the sight of Felicity with a gunshot wound. She'd cried out and he'd immediately taken her hand, letting her grip his fingers as tight as she needed to, and none of them moved while Sara told him how Felicity had saved her and stopped Tockman at the same time.

The fear and anger threatened to overwhelm him and he locked both down. By the time he'd carried her to the car Digg had driven and got her down to the lair he had a tight lock over him emotions.

And he'd left the lock on because he couldn't chance letting it open. Slade's reappearance made everything too risky. He'd felt like he was two seconds from losing control all day. The threat the man posed was greater than anything they'd faced before and if he let his mind wander for even a moment all he could see were the slain bodies of every single person he cared about.

Slade was hell bent on vengeance and he'd had years to prepare. He was willing to salt the land in the wake of his destruction, not caring who or what was decimated in the process, the only end game to destroy Oliver's life.

He didn't hear her come in, just felt her soft touch on his arm and when he looked down quickly to see her bright blue nails it was almost a shock. The vividness of the color against his dark suit made him stare. One small spot of life on a day where he felt like he was drowning.

When he lifted his eyes to her he only saw her always unwavering gaze. However, this time he could see the dark bruising below her eyes she'd tried to hide with make up, and the way her face had been pinched in pain most of the day. He knew she hadn't slept more than a couple of hours and those had been drug induced.

For just a second he let the mask fall, let her see everything he couldn't say the night before. She looked back at him open and supportive, letting him know she understood. Her fingers dug in slightly as she took a half a step closer and he let his hand fall to his side, just brushing the fabric of her pleated skirt.

She let out a sigh when he blinked and looked back out the window, the angle of the sun making the city look hazy and washed out. He expected her to go back to her desk, but instead he felt her light touch graze the line of his sleeve and trail over the back of his hand before she slipped her fingers into his palm.

Her grip was strong and tight and he squeezed back to let her know he was grateful for her presence. He wanted to bundle her towards him, wrapping his arms around her so close he'd be able to feel each breath she took, because when he shut his eyes too long he still remembered the second where he'd thought she wouldn't take another. But he couldn't do that.

So instead he held her hand, and listened as she explained how she'd covered their tracks with the stock sales, and how Isabel would get nowhere with her audit, and how she had already overnighted all new equipment to rebuild her system at the lair. This time vowing it would be impenetrable.

When she assured him they'd take care of Slade too he couldn't help the way his breath hitched, or how she noticed and paused too long before she continued. He'd stopped her then, turning towards her with the revelation that he didn't need to protect her. She did a fine job doing that herself, and did an even better job protecting him.

He took a deep breath and let his thumb run over the back of her hand once before he spoke,

"I need to tell you about Slade Wilson."


	5. 2x15

**A/N: Very short very quick and dirty episode tag. Spoilers for 2x15 if you haven't seen it yet. Enjoy!**

Felicity was wringing her hands and pacing the short distance in front of her computers waiting for them to return. Oliver had left his phone on, and she'd had the others on the comms, so when Slade had said he'd left John alive she'd only mildly panicked before she sent Sara and Roy to find him.

The door clanged open at the top and she hurried over, watching as Roy supported most of Digg's weight with Sara trailing behind.

"I'm so sorry!" Felicity blurted out immediately, "I was watching the thermal inside the house. I didn't see anyone else…"

"He'll be okay," Sara assured her as they passed,

Felicity followed close, wincing as Digg lowered the hand that had been held to the back of his head to reveal a bloody palm. "Oh my god, you're bleeding." and that more than anything drove her to action.

In just a few moments she'd pulled out a cold pack and other supplies and had pushed her way past Roy to look at Digg herself as he leaned against the medbay table.

"I'm fine, Felicity," he said and she shushed him, pulling his hand away so she could work.

"Right, you're fine. Roy and Sara found you passed out in the bushes and you're bleeding from the head but you're fine." she hated how shaky her voice sounded, but she'd been on edge ever since Sara had reacted so strongly to Slade Wilson being back.

Her fear for Oliver was almost palpable and she knew she'd be unable to settle down until she saw him.

So for the time she tried to distract herself by fixing up Digg.

The silence from the rest of the team was nerve wracking, and she tried to keep her gaze on Digg but occasionally she'd look up and catch Sara about to say something or see Roy pacing off to the side.

She'd finished cleaning the wound and was holding the ice pack in place even though Digg was perfectly capable of doing that himself when she heard heavy footsteps on the stairs.

Then she was shoving the ice pack at Digg and racing towards Oliver.

Much like the night he'd returned from fighting Gold she didn't stop until she'd crashed into him. Her eyes fell shut as she pressed her face into his peacoat, and when she felt his arms come up to wrap around her some of the tension she'd been holding eased out of her.

But when she pulled back she saw his eyes. He looked shell-shocked. Rocked. Half-destroyed. And Slade hadn't touched him.

"Oliver…" she said, almost breathless, her hands resting on his sides as she stared up at him, "What did he do?"

Finally he dropped his chin and looked at her, a world of sorrow, and grief, and pain, and torment running through him so quick and harsh she felt tears prick the back of her eyes.

"It's not what he did. It's what he said. What he's going to do." his voice was one she'd never heard him use before. It was dead and toneless and her breath hitched in her chest as her stomach dropped.

Her mouth went dry and her fingers tightened in the fabric of his jacket, as she gathered the courage to ask the question she didn't want to ask.

"What is he going to do?" her own voice hoarse, one hand lifting of it's own volition to cup the side of his face and keep him from turning away from her.

He looked down at her, like she was the last good thing he'd ever see, "He's going to take everything and everyone and then he's going to make me live."


	6. 2x18

**A/N: I have feels from that ep! Wrote this quick and dirty to address a few things the show couldn't. Enjoy, and let me know what you think!**

When he dragged his aching body off the cot he was surprised to see it was almost ten in the morning. He'd trained until almost dawn, trying to force the echoes of Slade's voice and Thea's destroyed expression from his head but failed, finally collapsing when he could barely stand.

He didn't expect to see Felicity at her desk when he stepped into the main part of the lair, one hand still raking through his hair as he stretched. She was focused intently on the screens, the reflection of the light on her glasses not letting him see her eyes.

"What are you doing here?"

She startled with a small jump as her head flew up. "Oh, god! I thought you were sleeping," she said, almost accusingly,

"I was, but it's ten. Why are you here?" he repeated as he crossed to the small fridge and grabbed a water.

When he turned back she'd swiveled her chair and for the first time he noticed she was dressed casually. Dark pants, low heeled boots, and a shirt and jacket he'd never seen before.

Her lips were pressed into a thin line as she stared at him with an almost perturbed look on her face, "Well, when the CEO literally signs his job away to a two-faced, duplicitous woman who's in cahoots with our biggest enemy, the CEO's EA is sort of out of a job as well." she gave an exaggerated shrug of her shoulders, hands opening wide as his head fell back in response.

"Felicity…" it hadn't even crossed his mind and now he was even more angry with himself for not considering how it had affected her,

She turned back to the monitors but the set of her shoulders was stiff, "It's done, Oliver. We have bigger things to worry about, I get it."

And he knew she was telling the truth, because Felicity always put everyone else ahead of herself.

He sat the water aside, "That doesn't mean it's okay. I'm sorry," he said, voice lowering as he approached,

Her hands paused over the keyboard, "I know, but really, what's one job, or two I suppose in the grand scheme, right? Although we're really going to have to figure out how to get yours back or...this isn't going to pay for itself." her hands waved around to indicate all the equipment in the lair, "I mean, you being a billionaire sort of makes the whole 'hero by night' thing possible. I don't know how less well funded heros would make it happen. I couldn't do half of what I do if I didn't have all this and this...not cheap, let me tell-"

He dropped a hand on her shoulder and she stopped talking immediately. He saw her fingers curl into her palm and the way she took a deep breath before letting it out slowly, his hand staying where he'd placed it and sinking an inch as she released the breath.

"I'm sorry. I haven't been...I've been distracted and now we're paying the price,"

"It's Slade, Oliver, I understand. You know what he's capable of and he's been planning this for a long time. Taking the company was just part of that," she spun her chair again and he let his hand follow until it rested on the opposite shoulder, feeling the need to keep some form of contact with her,

"Take everything," he said thickly, "That's what he promised. What he did with Thea, that was just a power play. To show me what he was capable of."

She nodded in agreement, "Which is why we need to play catch up, and fast. The good thing about not having to go in everyday and answer your phone is that I can spend all my time here doing important things," she gave him a wry grin that he couldn't help but returning,

He let his thumb run over the soft fabric of her top, feeling the hard line of her collarbone underneath before he squeezed once and took a step back. She cleared her throat and spun back so fast she almost clipped him with the chair as he came to stand at her side, arms crossed over his chest, "So, what important things are you working on?"

"Finding Slade is practically impossible, but now that we know that Isabel is working with him I decided to focus on her. I've been adding information to her profile for months but nothing has really hit. I just figured I'd been looking in the wrong places."

"You have a profile on Isabel?"

She tilted her head to the side and gave him an incredulous look, "Yes, she's on the list, Oliver, of course I have a profile on her. I have a profile on everyone in the book."

The list. He hadn't thought about the list in months. Yes, he knew Isabel's name was in there, he'd memorized every name in that book but he'd put it out of his mind because he was trying to be a different man, a better man, and thinking about the book just reminded him of everything that had gone wrong the year before.

He scraped a rough hand over his face and let out a long breath,

"There are holes in her background that I'm sure paint a very interesting picture but I haven't been able to fill them all in yet. But once she showed her hand with QC I had another avenue to follow. I think Slade wants you company for more than one reason. I mean, yes, he wants to destroy you by every means possible and taking the company is part of that but think he also wants to use it's resources. Why not, right? It's what I would do if I was an evil mastermind."

"Then I guess we're lucky you use your powers for good and not evil,"

She gave him a half an eye roll and a shake of her head before she continued, "So what Isabel has failed to grasp is that I am more than just a short skirt. If she thought she could hide anything in the QC internal servers well...ha, hate to break it to her but I designed those firewalls and know those programs like the back of my hand." her voice had become more animated like it always did when she started talking tech, and he couldn't help but smile as her fingers flashed over the keyboard, "Since she became CEO she's allocated an obscene amount of money and resources to the Applied Sciences division. I think...I think we know how Slade's going to make more mirakuru."

A chill went down his spine as he leaned in over her to see the numbers with his own eyes. Felicity was right, the only changes Isabel had made were directed to Applied Sciences. He muttered a Russian curse under his breath and stepped back with clenched fists.

"The prison bus," he said, voice hollow as it began to click into place,

He hadn't even realized he'd moved away until Felicity was on her feet and by his side, "I can't beat one of him...if he's got an entire army on mirakuru…" any trace amount of hope he'd had vanished as he imagined exactly the destruction Slade could inflict.

"Hey, this isn't over." she said forcefully, hand landing on his arm as she gripped tightly, the only thing anchoring him at that moment, "We know his game plan now which means we can put together a defense, and maybe even an offense."

"But…"

"What did we tell you last night?" she was right in front of him now, looking up with wide, beseeching eyes that begged him to see himself the way she did, "You're not alone, Oliver, and you can do this. I know you can."

The optimism he'd felt earlier was still missing, "You can't know that," he said almost as a whisper, head bowing as he focused on her purple nails instead of her face,

She moved in even closer, other hand coming up to cup his jaw and the tingle he felt at her touch made him look up, "Yes I can. I can know that because I know you. You're not going to lose. You're not going to let him beat you." His eyes fell shut as her words washed over him, her thumb running in slow comforting strokes across his stubble, "You're a good man, Oliver Queen. You're a hero."

The air exploded from his chest as he collapsed forward, his head coming to rest against the side of hers as her arms lifted to wrap around his shoulders. Her belief in him had always been the strongest thing he'd known. No matter what he did she never wavered. It was that belief that had propelled him out the door to go after Thea. Her voice, her words, her strength had given him the assurance he'd needed to let him know he was doing the right thing.

"Thank you," he said throatily into her hair, one hand splayed across her back to draw her just a little bit closer to him. "And...I'm sorry, for the job and...if you need anything…"

She pulled back and let her hands slide down until they rested inside his elbows, "I'm fine. This insanely rich guy dumped a million dollars in my bank account last year before he cut town and...I made a few investments, and I'm not just talking about the 3-D printer I put down here."

He knew she was trying to bring things back, to bring him back from the edge like she always did so he gave her a tight lipped smile before he let go.

Her eyes held his for a long moment and he was struck by the depth of support he found there. "I don't deserve you," he said just as she'd turned to go back to her desk and she froze in place, "But I'm glad you're here,"

"I'm glad I'm here too," she said softly without looking,

He didn't move until he heard the familiar sound of her fingers on the keyboard. As he sat down at one of the work benches he cut another glance her direction. He had no idea how it was all going to turn out. Slade still had the upper hand and the advantage, but with Felicity's voice in his head now instead, Oliver thought maybe they had a chance.


	7. 2x18- Thea

**A/N: Another post 2x18 drabble. I had some Thea feels as well, poor kid.**

Felicity sat nervously in the lobby of the Plaza, eyes fixed on the elevator that led to the uppermost floors. With no official day job, and Oliver still sleeping off his all night training marathon she had nothing better to do than drink her third cup of coffee and wait for Thea Queen to emerge.

She wasn't even sure the girl was planning on leaving. Felicity wasn't sure she would if she was in her shoes. She'd just been dumped, kidnapped, and found out her mother and brother had been keeping a life altering secret from her. If she chose to curl up in a ball on her bed and order in room service for a week no one would blame her.

If nothing else though Felicity thought she could at least keep an eye on her. With Roy missing and Thea ignoring any contact from her family she was on her own and Felicity knew that wasn't a good place to be, especially just then.

But she'd always been impressed by Thea's resilience, and when she walked off the elevator half an hour later Felicity wasn't that surprised.

She jumped to her feet and grabbed the now lukewarm coffee she'd brought for the girl and headed her direction.

Thea's head was down, arms wrapped tight around her body like she was trying to physically hold herself together. She still wore the blue coat she'd been wearing the night before and Felicity knew she hadn't even been home to change or grab her things.

"Thea," she called out carefully, but the girl still jumped, wide red rimmed eyes looking at her in fear as she skittered sideways.

"I'm sorry! I didn't want to scare you!" Felicity said quickly as the frightened look slid off her face and turned to one of confusion and anger,

"Why are you here?"

"I'm...Felicity, I'm Ol…"

"I know who you are," Thea interrupted harshly, "But it doesn't explain why you're here. I want nothing to do with him. So go fetch him his coffee or whatever else you do for him. I'm done."

Felicity felt her face go red at the unspoken implication and it took her a moment to recover before she could run after Thea's retreating form.

"No! Thea, please!"

"Look! I've had a  _really_  bad day, okay." she spat as she whirled, "I don't know why you think you can be here but you need to leave." she looked like she was on the verge of tears and Felicity's heart went out to her,

They were standing in the middle of the lavishly decorated lobby, and while no one was currently paying them any attention she didn't think that would hold for long.

"This is for you. It's probably not hot anymore because I've been waiting for a while for you to come down but...take it, you look like you could use something. And just so you know I don't get your brother coffee like, ever. He usually gets it for me. I also don't do any other things that aren't, you know, business related." she'd forced the cup into Thea's hands until she didn't have a choice but to take it. Noticing she looked a bit dazed Felicity took the opportunity to start walking towards a small seating area that was mostly private, and Thea actually followed along with her.

They sank into a plush high backed couch with high sides that provided even more privacy and Thea sat carefully on the edge, glancing between Felicity and the coffee. "He doesn't know you're here?"

"No! He was sleeping when I left." the words were out of her mouth before she could realize what it might sound like and Thea's eyebrows lifted into her hair,

"That's not...we're not." she started frantically, "He's my boss and my friend and that's it. He's with Sara Lance not me. Never me." her mouth fell shut with a snap and she felt Thea's eyes boring into her.

"He didn't sleep while you were missing. He was worried sick about you. I know…I know finding out Malcolm Merlyn was your father was a shock-"

Thea looked at her in horror and was halfway to her feet, forgotten coffee cup almost spilling from her hand before Felicity caught it and sat it on the table.

"How? How could you…?  _You_ knew and I didn't…"

Felicity grasped Thea by the arm and pulled her back down to the couch before she could topple over. All the blood had drained from her face and she looked like she might be sick.

"I knew because I'm the one who told Oliver,"

When Thea looked as if she could actually hear what Felicity was saying she continued.

"Last year Walter had asked me to look into some things, some things about your mother. I didn't know that's what it was at the time, of course. That intel resurfaced a few months ago and when I looked into it further...I found out about Malcolm."

Thea looked numb, as if she wasn't even processing everything she was being told,

"I went to see your mother first. I thought...I thought she deserved the chance to tell you and Oliver on her own."

Thea scoffed at this, "Obviously she disagreed. She's ruthless and manipulative...you're lucky you walked out of there alive."

A chill went through Felicity as a memory of that encounter flashed through her mind, "Yeah, she's uh...she can be scary lets just leave it at that." swallowing hard she pushed on, "But you're right, she did disagree. I had no choice, I had to tell Oliver."

A long beat of silence stretched between them, "And then he did exactly what she did and kept it from me too." Thea said with a shake of her head, "I knew there was something going on between him and mom but he kept assuring me it was nothing. What a hypocrite."

Felicity couldn't disagree with her, she hadn't truly understood Oliver's decision but she'd supported him, until now when all they could hope to run was damage control.

"I know it wasn't right...but he was doing it because he loves you and he wants you to be safe."

Thea just shook her head, fingers absently playing with the edge of her scarf. "You know I woke up out of a dead sleep and realized that Tommy was my brother too." she said on half a sob, "I've lost both my brothers, the man I thought was my father, and my actual father who turned out to be a psychopath, all my mother does is lie to me, and my boyfriend cheated on me and left town. So who do I have? Who's there for me?"

She sounded desolate and alone and much too old for a girl her age. Without thought Felicity slipped an arm around her shoulders and gave her a gentle tug. There was a moment of resistance and then she gave in, head coming to rest on Felicity's shoulder as she cried softly.

Felicity didn't say a word, she just held her. There was nothing she could say just then. Thea's entire world had been upended and she needed time and space to process that.

Something made her look up and when she did she saw Oliver with Digg right behind him.

Oliver's eyes locked on hers and she shook her head once before he could come any closer. Thea seeing him right then wouldn't be good. She needed a chance to live with what she'd learned before they spoke.

He looked torn as he took in the sight of his obvious upset sister, but she silently asked him to back off and give her space. She could see the turmoil pass over his face before his eyes shut tight and when he opened them she saw him asking her to take care of Thea.

Felicity stroked a hand over the girl's head and gave Oliver a tiny nod before Digg took him by the arm and led him away.

They sat like that for a few more minutes until Thea's shoulders stopped shaking and her sobs turned into occasional sniffles. When she finally made a move to sit up Felicity handed her some napkins she'd grabbed from the coffee shop and slipped into her pocket.

She waited patiently while Thea wiped her eyes and blew her nose, "Thanks, you don't even know me and...just...thanks. I'm sorry I was such a bitch earlier. You're the only person other than my kidnapper whose told me the truth and…"

"You deserved to know. And I'm not going to tell you how to feel or how to handle this but...Oliver would do anything to protect you." if only she could tell that secret so that Thea could truly understand the levels her brother would go to in order to keep her safe.

"I can't…"

"I know. No one expects you to figure it all out right now, but you do need to be careful and I know you're not in a good place with your mother or brother but your family has resources you shouldn't hesitate to use for your protection."

Thea gave her half a smile at that, "I think I've learned my lesson about going anywhere alone. I've already called for one of the drivers to come pick me up, he's probably been waiting outside this entire time."

With that Thea rose to her feet and Felicity followed, "What are you going to do?" she blurted out before she could stop herself,

"Go home even though my mother is the last person I want to see. And then...I have a business to run. It's good, it'll give me something to focus on." the self-assurance didn't reach her eyes and Felicity gave her a sympathetic look as they made their way through the front doors of the hotel and out onto the sidewalk.

"I can come with you if you want, even though I know your mother pretty much hates me, but maybe I could provide a distraction." she offered with a weak shrug, encountering Moira Queen again was not something she wanted to do but she would if she had to.

A black town car was pulled to the curb and the driver had the door open as soon as he had spotted Thea. Felicity looked down the row of parked cars and saw Digg and the Bentley three spaces away.

"Thank you, but I have to do this myself." she said almost sadly as she turned to get into the car, but at the last second she spun back and gave Felicity a quick hug, "You're nothing like I thought. Thanks for telling me the truth,"

Felicity watched as the driver shut the door and then pulled away, she only hoped the road Thea was headed down would work out well for everyone.

She was still standing there when she felt Oliver come up behind her.

"I left you a note, you didn't need to track me." she said without looking, "Sorry, if you think I overstepped but she needed somebody and…"

"No, you were right. She did and I've managed to take everyone away from her," the anger and self-disgust was back in his tone and she turned with a sigh to see him staring after a car that was no longer in sight,

"Oliver…"

"Thank you, for...whatever you said. She needed someone."

"She'll pull through, you'll see,"

"How can you be so sure?" he asked as he finally dropped his eyes to look at her,

She stepped closer and lifted her hand to rest along the lapel of his coat, "Doesn't matter whose blood runs through her veins, she's still a Queen. And in my experience you can withstand just about anything."

His hand came up to cover hers, enveloping it in his large grip, his look and touch conveying the words he couldn't find just then.

"Come on, ride with us," he said, giving her hand a tug as he turned back to where Digg waited,

"But my car…" she protested weakly as he kept walking and she was forced to keep up,

"We'll get it later," there was a timbre in his voice that let her know he didn't want to be alone and she couldn't deny him.

"Okay,"

At her acquiescence his grip loosened, but before she could pull away he stuck his elbow out and she slid her fingers up to rest in the crook of his elbow.

Their ride back to the lair was quiet, but Oliver's hand had found hers again and he didn't let go.


	8. 2x19 spec fic

**A/N: Spoilers for 2x19!**

**I'm sure by now most people have seen the still photos and screen caps from the trailer that show Oliver, Felicity, Digg, and Sara coming down the steps of the lair only to get ambushed by Slade. I had a need to work that scene out.**

**Just a little 'what might happen' fic to tide us over until the show airs.**

**Enjoy, and let me know what you think!**

 

 

"Nice digs, kid. Quite the step up from a bombed out fuselage,"

They were only halfway down the steps when the low, accented growl greeted them and they froze.

Oliver's hand dropped to her shoulder, fingers digging in and making her rock back, the tension flowing through him so quick it felt almost electric.

No one moved. No one spoke. And then Felicity could see him.

He looked massive. A giant, impenetrable machine covered head to toe in armor and weaponry. The two-toned mask he wore only enhancing the deadly image he portrayed.

She wasn't sure who move first, Slade or Oliver. All Felicity knew was that one moment she was certain she was about to die and the next Oliver's hands were grabbing for her and they were moving.

They were in the air before she realized he'd thrown them over the side of the stairs. There wasn't even time for a shriek to leave her throat. His arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her tight to his chest as bullets pinged around them and then they were on the ground, his body absorbing most of the impact as they landed.

The breath was knocked out of her, but before she could even open her eyes he was picking her up and shoving her beneath the steps. Oliver was crouched in front of her, one long arm stretched in front, blocking her as much as he could. Her fingers gripped the steel of the riser above her as she looked around the lair in shock.

Digg and Sara had been behind them but she didn't know where they'd gone when Oliver had reacted. Her heart was thudding so rapidly she thought it might explode. There were still sounds of guns firing and small explosions.

A sound must have finally made it past her lips because Oliver's head whipped towards her, his hand dropping to her knee, "Stay out of sight," he said, low and fierce and all she could do was nod, "If you see a chance to get out, do it!"

She shook her head at that. She wasn't going to leave the team. She wasn't going to leave him.

A look of anger flashed across his face and suddenly his hand was cupping her cheek, "He will kill you, Felicity! Get out if you can!"

She saw it then. The total and complete fear in his eyes. Swallowing heavily she blinked back tears, "Okay, just...be careful, Oliver,"

She'd swear his thumb stroked once over her skin, and then he was shoving her further into the darkness before he went to join Digg and Sara.

With her heart in her throat she made herself as small as possible. She could see between the slats in the steps and she knew it wasn't the best hiding spot. If Slade wanted to he could rip the bolts from the concrete and expose her in an instant.

Everything moved too fast. Sara was being tossed like a rag doll, the sight of her landing on the unforgiving floor making Felicity cringe. Digg's bullets didn't seem to affect Slade and Oliver hadn't been able to reach his bow, his only weapon Sara's dropped bo staff.

Oliver tried to keep the fight as far back into the lair as possible she realized and she knew it was because he was trying to give her a chance to get out. But every time she thought she had an opportunity he'd lose ground and the moment was gone.

She didn't know how much longer they could last. Slade was besting all of them even when they came at him together. A cold dread settled within her. He'd kill the others and then finish her off and there wouldn't be anything she could do to stop him.

When she saw Slade's blade slice into Oliver's side everything went numb. He fell to the ground out of her sight, as a sob became lodged in her throat.

Sara made an attempt to attack from behind but Slade merely reached out and snapped her wrist like it was nothing more than a twig. The sound ricocheted throughout the lair along with Sara's cry and Felicity's hands came up to cover her mouth as she stared horrified.

None of them were moving. She hadn't seen Digg fall and she didn't know if he was dead or not, the thought too terrifying to consider.

Slade stood still, observing the damage he'd wrought as he sheathed his blades, then he walked forward to where Oliver lay slumped against a pillar.

"I see I've miscalculated, kid." Slade said drolly as he stood over Oliver's prone form, Sara weakly tried to struggle to her knees but collapsed before she could, "I picked the wrong woman." even though Felicity couldn't see his eyes she felt his stare as the mask turned to look directly at her hiding place and her head filled with static as her stomach dropped. "I won't make the same mistake next time. Live with that."

Slade was five steps across the lair heading straight for her when she realized what he was doing. She startled backwards so frantically she bumped into one of the tool chests, banging into it harshly but not feeling a thing.

"NO!" Oliver roared as he rolled to one knee, hand clamped across his bloody side.

Slade just let out a low chuckle and kept walking the same steady pace.

Felicity staggered two more steps and then froze.

"Don't touch her!"

But Slade didn't slow, he kept moving until he was at the stairs, only five feet from her, and he kept going.

His boots stomped on each step, making the sound ring out in the space and each one made her jump until she heard him at the top and the door banged shut behind him.

She couldn't breathe, couldn't move. She had been certain he was going to kill her.

It was the gasping exhale that ended on a sob, doubling her over as her knees went weak that pushed life back into the room.

Oliver's half desperate call of her name had her moving and then she was dropping to her knees beside him, tears rolling down her face that she couldn't wipe away because her hands were covering his and pressing down on his wound.

"You're okay," he breathed out, and then repeated the words almost like he was saying them to himself.

"You're not. None of you are," she said raggedly finally looking up and scanning the space. Digg was slumped near her desk but he was starting to sit up with a groan and the knot in her gut eased some. Sara looked grey, her arm clasped tight to her chest as she tried to stand.

"I don't know how he got in. None of the alarms went off. I have them sent to my phone, but nothing went off. But he was here. Waiting and…." one of Oliver's hand slid out from underneath hers to wrap around her wrist, halting her words.

"It doesn't matter,"

"Of course it matters! We're supposed to be safe here. I keep us safe here!" panic was starting to fill her and she could feel the way her hands shook and hear the way her voice wavered,

"It's not your fault," he said between gritted teeth and she realized he was trying to push back on his shoulders so he could stand.

Unable to stop him she scrambled to her feet and grabbed hold of his waist, one hand still putting pressure on his wound.

He let his head fall back shutting his eyes for a moment and she felt him list to the side some. When he was more stable she risked pulling his shirt up to see the gash. Hands trembling she almost expected to see a stab wound that went through him. To her relief it was a long slice along his side.

"You need stitches, but it doesn't look too bad," she managed to get out and he nodded once,

"You guys okay?" Digg asked as he used the desk for support once he was standing,

Oliver grunted back a response and Digg took a second to wipe the back of his hand across his bloody mouth.

Grabbing handfuls of his shirt Felicity tugged and pulled Oliver off the wall to guide him to the chair where he more collapsed than sat.

Digg was already inspecting Sara's wrist, "It's broken. I can't set it here, you'll need to go to the hospital."

She nodded stiffly and carefully made her way over towards Oliver, "What the hell is he playing at, Ollie? He could have killed us but he didn't."

Oliver didn't speak though. All he could do was shake his head.

"Come on, I'll drive you to the hospital," Digg said as he limped to Sara's side, "You got this?" he directed at Felicity who could only mutely nod.

She didn't move again until they were out of sight then she turned to the supply cart and began pulling out gauze and antiseptic and a suture kit even though her hands were stained with his blood and they wouldn't stop shaking.

He'd hauled himself onto the med bay table and shed his jacket and shirt by the time she'd gathered what she needed. Propped up on his elbows he was half leaning over to get a better look at the wound as she approached.

"It could have been worse," he said lowly

"Don't say that," she snapped quickly, setting everything down before it could fall from her slack grip.

The silence between them grew as she poured antiseptic on a gauze pad and began to clean the bloody gash. Oliver clamped his lips shut and gripped the edge of the table as she worked. Other than a hiss of air being sucked through his teeth he didn't let on how painful it was.

"Sara was right though…" she said finally, not looking up as she pulled out the suture kit. "He could have killed us," she resolutely ignored Slade's comments about picking the wrong woman. There was no way she could even begin to consider what he could have meant just then. A quick flick of her eyes to Oliver though let her know thats all he was thinking about.

He didn't say a word, nor did he stop her as she injected the numbing medicine-something he usually refused. But as she went to cap the syringe his hand wrapped around her wrist and took it from her, laying it to the side. "I didn't think you liked needles," he said lowly,

"I don't, but I like you bleeding even less so…"

She was staring down, her gaze focused on where his thumb ran back and forth across the inside of her wrist, the blue veins standing out against the brownish red of dried blood that stained both of them.

"He's not going to touch you,"

The intensity and anger with which he spoke made her gasp and her head jerked up to see him staring at her with a look in his eyes she'd never seen before.

"He's not going to touch you," he repeated, this time softer but voice still full of steel to the point it sounded like a vow.

His name came out as no more than a whisper but she knew he understood everything she couldn't say just then. Words were stuck in her throat, clogged there by emotions, and implications, and acknowledgements that couldn't be voiced or heard. But their time would come.

When she blinked, tears spilled down her cheeks and his hand left her wrist to wipe them away. The breath caught in her chest and for one tiny second she let her eyes fall shut and allowed her head to turn into his touch. Then she opened her eyes and stepped back until he was forced to pull away.

"Lay down and let me finish," she said almost breathless, once again averting her eyes because there was too much between them just then. Everything was too close to the surface and they were both too close to the edge to risk saying anything else.

He did as she asked and she poured all her concentration into stitching his wound. She didn't let herself think about how Slade got in, or how he could have killed all of them in seconds, or how they were going to beat him in the future.

And she certainly didn't think about how Slade seemed to have identified her as the most important woman in Oliver's life.

She didn't think about that at all.


	9. 2x19 Felicity shot

**A/N: Spoilers for 2x19. Yes, another drabble for this ep before it comes out. This isn't a spec fic though. It's a 'what if' twist on the Slade attacking the lair scene. Just a little thing that popped into my head while I was watching a gif set of them jumping over the railing for the four hundredth time.**

In hindsight she'd wonder how she'd missed it. There had been a white hot streak of pain across her left side but it was gone just as quick and then she'd been falling through the air with Oliver's arms around her. Again.

One second they'd been paused on the stairs, not even enough time for her stomach to drop or the terror to set in that Slade Wilson was in the lair before Oliver had grabbed her and thrown her over the side of the stairs with him. The sharp pings of bullets ricocheting off the metal railings rang in her ear. She'd known they were close but as she crouched under the risers with Oliver in front of her she wasn't thinking about that.

It felt like the fight had gone on forever, but in reality it was over in a matter of minutes. She had to watch, helpless as one by one her team went up against Slade and failed. Sara's body being thrown limply through the air, Digg crashing through the glass case, and Oliver laying prone on the floor after confronting the man who had trained him.

When she'd rushed over to turn the lights back on she wasn't sure what she'd find, and for a moment all she could do was stare in horror.

Slade was no where to be seen, but the evidence of his presence was everywhere she looked.

A soft groan from her left made her snap her head to see Sara trying to push herself up, one arm cradled to her chest. When she saw Felicity about to go to her she waved her off, "Go. Check on the others," she said weakly,

Digg was also stirring, covered in broken glass, but he didn't seem to be too badly injured.

It was Oliver that put her heart in her throat. As she crashed to her knees beside him he wasn't moving. A reddened area along his jaw let her know he'd have another unexplainable bruise, but she'd seen Slade strike him in the side.

One hand fell to check his pulse while the other pushed aside his shirt, ignoring how warm his skin felt beneath her palm as she searched for anything life threatening. When she pressed along his ribs his face contorted in pain, his body trying to move away from the pressure.

He groaned, brows drawing together as he shifted and then she saw familiar blue eyes blinking up at her.

"Are you okay? Tell me you're okay." she demanded, her eyes flying from his face back to where she'd moved his shirt and jacket out of the way. His side was red and angry looking, blood welling to the surface from one long abrasion and she suspected his ribs were bruised if not broken.

He couldn't hide the grimace or the way his breath caught as he tried to sit up. When he actually let her take some of his weight as he paused, half propped against her shoulder she knew he was hurting.

Her hands were shaking as reached out to touch his rapidly swelling jaw but he caught her hand before she could, wrapping his fingers around hers and squeezing, "Are you okay?"

All she could do was nod. How could she not be okay? He'd saved her, again, like he always did.

With a grunt he began to push himself to his feet and she slid under his arm to help, trying not to touch his side. When he tried to pull away and make his way over to Digg and Sara she grabbed a handful of shirt and directed him towards the med bay table instead.

"Sit, before you puncture a lung," she ordered, knowing her voice was more wobbly than she would have liked.

Sara and Digg were on their feet as well, Digg already inspecting Sara's obviously injured arm.

Oliver just sat, staring morosely at the floor, not even looking at the others.

Five minutes later Sara was on the way to the hospital with Digg to get her arm set while Felicity gathered what she needed to clean Oliver's injury.

She let him remain quiet while she worked, only having to give him a look at the beginning when he still sat there with his jacket and shirt on.

It took her longer than it should have because the adrenaline was wearing off, leaving her weak and shaky. She knew she needed a good few minutes sitting down with her eyes shut to regain her equilibrium but it would have to wait.

"Why did you do it?" she finally asked, not daring to look at him, but she had to know and asking him to explain why he grabbed her and abandoned Digg and Sara was a better thing to focus on rather than the fact that Slade Wilson had some how found his way into their home.

His eyes flashed to hers and she knew he understood what she was asking.

"I just reacted," he answered, voice low and affected by everything he was thinking but not saying,

"But Digg, and…Sara-" she let her implication fall flat, waiting for him to respond or not,

He shifted on the table and rubbed a hand across his forehead, "Digg and Sara can take care of themselves. You were in front. What did you expect me to do, use you as a human shield?" he cracked, getting louder as he spoke and she froze with gauze and tape in her hands, "There was no thought, Felicity, I just reacted."

The wobbly feeling in her legs was getting stronger, as well as the fluttery feeling in her chest. Echoes of that night in his office with the Count threatening to inject her flew through her head.  _'There was no choice to make'_

She swallowed heavily and dipped her head once, not trusting her voice just then. When she went to resume patching him up he suddenly spoke, halting her movements once again.

"Why is there blood on the floor?"

She looked at him in confusion and the followed his line of sight, stepping back to see three bright red blood droplets standing out starkly on the concrete.

"I dont…" a wave of fear crashed over her, "Oh my god, were you shot?" she exclaimed, gauze and tape falling from her grasp as she began running her hands over his back and shoulders, looking for what she'd missed.

"Felicity-" he said hollowly and something made her look down again, there were five drops now and she watched as a sixth slowly fell and splashed on the floor, directly next to her foot.

"Oh,"

Time seemed to freeze as a buzzing filled her ears and then there was nothing but frantic energy as Oliver sprang from the table and was now the one shoving her jacket and shirt aside.

"Dammit, Felicity!" he cried, hand pressing hard just above her waist and pain suddenly made itself known.

Her mouth bobbed open and shut with nothing coming out as she tried to understand what was happening. Before she could even speak however, Oliver was lifting her in one easy move and turning to deposit her on the table he'd just been sitting on.

The world spun dangerously and all she could see was the bright overhead light and hear banging and clanging of drawers and things being shoved out of the way around her.

She'd been shot? When had she been shot?

"How? What?" she managed to get out, leaning right and then left automatically as he pulled the jacket from her arms and then dropped it to the floor without another thought. When he pressed his hand over her side again she cried out, back arching at the sudden flare of pain that once revealed now couldn't be ignored.

"You were shot," he mostly growled, not looking at her and she could almost feel the guilt pulsing off of him,

"I didn't feel it." her right hand gripped the edge of the table while her left found his arm,

"Adrenaline," he replied as he swapped out one soaked pad for another. She made the mistake of looking down and seeing the bright red stain causing black dots to dance in front of her eyes as her stomach flipped,

"Lay back and stop looking," he ordered, a hand coming out to press gently against her forehead,

She swallowed down the bile and licked her lips, forcing herself to breathe through her nose all the while holding onto him tighter, "Is it...is it still in there?"

The tension in his arm became even tighter as he stilled, "I don't think so, I think it just nicked you,"

"Good. That's good." she said breathlessly, hating how lightheaded she felt, and knowing that if Digg was there he'd have her hooked to the monitors, but Oliver seemed to only be able to focus on fixing her as soon as possible and she couldn't fault him for that.

His head bowed and she felt an overwhelming need to run her fingers across the back of his neck but she caught herself just in time and just ran her thumb over his bicep instead. "I'm sorry," he muttered so low she almost didn't hear him, "I was trying to keep you safe,"

"You did," she replied immediately, his head shooting up to give her an incredulous look, "You did. If you hadn't grabbed me and jumped I'd probably be dead right now and you know it,"

All he did was shake his head and straighten up, she didn't miss the way his eyes narrowed in pain.

"I didn't finish fixing you up," she protested, and once again he was staring at her,

"It's nothing," he said firmly and she knew he'd push his own pain aside to tend to her,

A whimper caught in her throat as he peeled off another soaked gauze square and touched around the wound, "Not enough to stitch, it's too wide," he told her, jaw clenched tight even though she knew it had to hurt him, "Looks more like a burn," she winced at that, knowing it would hurt for days,

After that he was silent as he worked. When he injected the numbing medicine she slammed her eyes shut so she didn't have to watch. She also felt how he had to push her shirt further out of the way, stopping at her bra. She hoped he didn't notice the catch in her breath when he did.

When he was finished he pulled the shirt down and then there was nothing but silence. Felicity stared up at him, unable to look away from the broken, forlorn look that plagued his face.

His hands slipped around her as she fought to sit up, clasping his forearms when everything spun. But her side didn't hurt, it was pleasantly numb. When the lair was still again she used him for blance to slide off the table before motioning for him to resume his place.

Immediately he balked but she narrowed her eyes and tilted her head to the side, waiting. A stony expression settled over him but he did as she asked.

She was dabbing ointment over his abrasion when she finally spoke, "He's trying to get into your head. Just like with Thea. He's trying to prove what he can do, where he can go. He shouldn't have been able to get in here, but somehow he did," That more than anything bothered her. Those were her systems and Slade had seemed able to slip in and out like a ghost,

"It's not your fault," he said immediately,

"It's not yours either," but the way he pulled back and looked purposefully away from her let her know he wasn't listening.

She was taping down the last bit of his bandage when a wave of dizziness washed over her. Oliver caught her by the hips and she gasped.

"You need to rest," he said gruffly, not letting her go,

"I need to figure out how he got in," she countered, but she couldn't deny she was feeling worse by the second,

"Not right now," he was getting more agitated, and when he sat her back and landed on his feet in front of her she knew it was to try and use his height as an advantage,

"You stopped intimidating me about five minutes after I met you," she informed him but he just leaned in closer,

"It's not up for discussion!" he almost bellowed, control slipping, and she could see the emotions that warred behind his eyes, "This is too much!"

She saw it all then. He'd gladly sacrifice himself to end this. He may even concede Sara or Digg because they were both soldiers. But Felicity was never supposed to be a pawn, she was never even supposed to be in play on the board, and his ability to handle the fact that Slade had walked into their home and put her into play was something he was failing at.

"Oliver-" she breathed out, hand coming up to rest along the inside of his elbow. She knew there was nothing she could say just then. He was struggling to process what had happened and until he had there was no point in talking.

Without protest she let him lead her to the couch, where he stood stoic above her until she laid down on her uninjured side and tucked a pillow under her head.

She let her eyes fall shut and he waited a long beat before he moved away. When something was laid over her shoulders she startled and saw him laying his leather jacket over her shoulders, the one she had been wearing still in a pile on the floor.

Their eyes locked and she let him know without words that they'd figure this out, they'd fight Slade, and they'd win.

Heavy lids fell shut as he took a moment and then he was smoothing the jacket one more time and squeezing her shoulder, "Just rest, I won't be far,"

She watched through her lashes as he righted her desk chair and rolled it over until it was only two feet from the couch. He settled into it almost gingerly and let his head fall back, determined to sit sentry until Digg returned.


	10. 2x20

**A/N: MAJOR SPOILERS 2x20.**

**Had a lot of feels with that one. Just a look at something I don't expect to see on the show next week, but still needed to work out.**

**Enjoy!**

 

When the call came it was the last thing she expected. She was getting ready to leave the lair, Digg intending to take the night shift and watch over Roy when her phone rang.

"Oliver?" Digg asked, and she shook her head in confusion,

"No, it's Detective Lance,"

"Detective? What can I do for you?" she asked, assuming he was calling about the manhunt for Roy, even though the kid lay only a few feet away from where she stood.

She heard him sigh and something made the hairs on her arms stand up.

"Ms. Smoak...Felicity it's...it's your...it's Oliver," she'd never heard him so affected before and all the air left her lungs as she gripped the table for support,

Before she could ask a question he continued, "Moira Queen has been murdered,"

She didn't know what noise escaped her throat but it was loud and agonized enough to send Digg running, he stood with a hand on her arm, keeping her upright as tears filled her eyes,

"Where's Oliver?" she managed to get out through a rapidly narrowing throat,

"He and Thea are at the hospital. There was a car accident first but…she was run through with a double edged blade."

"Slade-"

Digg tensed, almost gripping her elbow to the point of pain but she didn't feel it. She didn't feel anything just then beyond pain for what Oliver must be going through.

"I just...I thought he'd want you to know,"

Lance hung up before she could reply and it took Digg slipping the phone from her toneless fingers for her to blink, spilling tears down her cheeks,

"Felicity-"

"Moira's dead. Slade killed her. There was a car accident and Thea and Oliver are at the hospital. I don't…" she said it as quick as she could because she knew as soon as she was finished she wouldn't be able to speak

"Oh god," Digg stepped away, both hands coming up to cover his face and then his head,

There was a long beat of silence and then she was moving, grabbing her bag and her phone and all while on unsteady legs.

"You okay?"

"No," she answered honestly, raising her eyes to find his as they shared a common fear. "Oliver-"

"I know," he replied.

Slade had already done too much damage to Oliver's psyche. But to have killed his mother…

"We have to go," she was already heading for the stairs, barely noticing as Digg put an arm around her back and turned her towards him,

"Hey, we're not going to let him run this time, okay?"

She bit her lip and gave him a tight nod, because after last year and Tommy that's exactly what she expected,

The drive to the hospital was much too long even though she knew Digg drove as fast as he could. When they burst through the doors she was the one who marched to the front desk and demanded to know where Oliver and Thea were.

She was starting to use her loud voice with the uncooperative attendant when Lance pushed open a door and gave a low whistle. Felicity threw the woman a slightly superior look and didn't look back as she and Digg hurried towards the detective.

"Where are they? Are they okay? What happened? How did Slade get them?" she rattled off question after question as they walked quickly down the hallway,

"I don't have many answers, but they're right inside here and I think they could use a friendly fa-"

He pushed open a door but the only one inside was a glassy eyed Thea who sat perched on the edge of a chair, white bandage on her forehead, with her arms wrapped tightly around her middle. She didn't even seem to notice they'd entered.

"Where's Oliver?" Lance asked, looking up and down the hallway,

Felicity and Digg exchanged a worried look and she had already taken a few steps down a side hallway but cut her eyes back to see Thea so broken and alone,

"I'll stay with her, go find him." Digg said sharply and she didn't hesitate.

She ran, knowing he'd have a head start, her head filled with nothing but worry for what he would do. She rounded another corner and saw a door at the end that led to the outside just shutting. Putting on a burst of speed she slammed through and took in a gulping breath of night air, head swiveling both directions until she spotted him to her left.

He was only ten feet away, one hand braced on the brick wall as he leaned over and retched.

Heart breaking, she didn't think as she ran towards him, slipping under his arm as she wrapped an arm around his back the best she could like she had done earlier in the lair.

He didn't even acknowledge she was there, just wiped his mouth with his sleeve and staggered back until he hit the wall. She tried to brace him, stepping between his feet and moving until she could clutch handfuls of his jacket in an effort to keep him upright but he sank like an anchor and she went with him until he was sitting sprawled on the cold sidewalk with her kneeling between his legs.

She hadn't seen him after Tommy but she imagined this is what he had looked like. There was a bloody gash on his head that wasn't covered, tear tracks streaking his dirty face, but it was his eyes that made her weep. He looked right through her, lost and adrift in a nightmare she couldn't pull him from because it wasn't a nightmare at all.

Her hands traveled up until she could take his face in her hands, feeling the weight of his head as he didn't try to hold it up.

"She's gone...I did it," he mumbled, so quiet she almost didn't hear him,

"No, Oliver, it wasn't you. It was Slade, he did this. Not you." she whispered fiercely but he just shook his head and shut his eyes,

"I did it,"

"What happened, tell me what happened,"

He shook his head again and grimaced, "Tell me, Oliver, please,"

"It was like before. Just like Shado. He had Thea and Mom and...he wanted me to choose,"

Felicity gasped in horror, a fresh wave of tears making her vision blurry, and she shifted closer.

"I tried to tell him to take me, to kill me, but he wouldn't,"

A pain ripped through her chest at the thought of what he had offered, and she knew he had. She knew he would have gladly given up his life for his mother or his sister.

"Oliver, it wasn't your fault. He's crazed! There was nothing you could have done,"

He looked at her then, and she didn't see the strong, amazing man she worked with everyday. Instead she saw a heartbroken little boy, "She's dead...mom's dead,"

He crumpled forward, his head landing on her neck and she wrapped her arms around him, feeling his tears drip underneath her collar as his sobs shook both of them.

She didn't know how long they sat there. She sensed Digg close by at some point, but he didn't move to interrupt, his presence was enough for her to feel his support and she knew they'd all have to rely on each other more than they ever had before to get through this.

Her fingers combed through Oliver's hair, as she softly shushed him, and held him as tight as she could. When he calmed some he didn't make any move to pull back.

"She knew," he whispered,

"Knew what?"

"She  _knew,"_ the emphasis on the second word made her freeze as she realized what he meant,

"She'd known for a year. She said…" his voice cracked, "She said she was proud of me,"

Felicity felt her heart seize at his words, unable to comprehend the pain he must be in just then, "Of course she was," she soothed, lips brushing his temple as his arms finally came up to wrap around her waist.

She did the only thing she could which was to hold him and not let go. He wasn't going to run this time. They wouldn't let him. Slade had to be stopped, and they didn't have five months, much less five days to lose Oliver again. But she had to believe as broken as he was just then, he was stronger than before.

He'd come back to her, to them. He'd rally like he always did because he knew no other way. In the end they would win. And if she had to be the one to believe that for him, she'd do that too.


	11. 2x21 spec

**A/N: Written prior to 2x21 aired. A continuation of the conversation between Felicity and Oliver when she's trying to convince him not to go.**

Enjoy!

 

 

“All that’s left is for me to die.”

He said it with a deaden voice, flat and monotone like it meant nothing, like his life was worth nothing and it filled her veins with a rage that spread like wildfire, fast and unforgiving. It temporarily choked her and she had to take a step back, put a few more inches between them because she felt it swell within her like it might explode.

“All that’s left?” she repeated, unable to keep her lip from curling as her shoulders fell back and tighten, “That’s what you really think? He’s taken everything?”

Oliver just blinked at her, silent and it only infuriated her more.

“What about Digg? What about Thea? What about this city that we vowed to protect! What do you think happens if Slade kills you? Do you think he’s just going to walk away. With Blood as Mayor what do you think will happen?!”

His eyes were on the floor now as he turned from her, “This is how it has to be,”

He made to step away and her hand flashed out to grab his arm, “No! You do not get to walk away from this without answering me, Oliver Queen!”

She stepped forward without realizing it until his forearm was pressed into her stomach, her brightly painted nails looking wrong as they dug into his white shirt.

His jaw clenched even harder as he still avoided her eyes, but he didn’t try to get out of her hold.

“Explain to me how you think dying saves anyone. It’s the easy way, Oliver, and I have never for one second ever thought of you as a coward.”

His head whipped up at that, eyes narrowing as he stared at her.  But it was Digg’s voice that spoke first.

“What about Felicity?” he said evenly as he moved closer causing both of them to turn and look at him. “Don’t think I didn’t notice you left yourself off that list.” he said pointedly and she stiffened.

His gaze shifted to Oliver, “You haven’t lost everything man, and what the rest of us lose if you do this... is it not worth going down without a fight?”

Oliver’s breaths increased as he swiped a hand over his face, unable to hide his now red rimmed eyes. “No one else is going to die for me!” he exploded, but instead of letting go she just hung on tighter, “You will not die!” the words were ground from his throat so low and ragged it didn’t even sound like him.

Her heart seized in her chest, stuttering between beats as she looked at him, mouth agape, “Oliver--”

He’d turned, hands clasping her elbows and she didn’t even know when that had happened, “If you two live. If Thea lives then it’s worth it.” she could feel the tension flow through him, and the intensity in his tone was so high she felt him barely keep himself from shaking her, “You’re it. You’re all that’s left and he knows that. I won’t...I can’t let it happen, Felicity. I can’t.”

It was the way the words broke and cracked in his mouth that launched her forward. Her arms wrapped around his neck as the tears she’d been struggling to hold back began to fall. “Don’t do this, Oliver, please.” she begged,

When his arms banded about her she only cried harder because she knew. She could feel it in her bones. He was going to do this regardless.

He didn’t say a word, just held her longer than she thought he intended to and then his hands were on her waist setting her back, pressing her towards Digg as he turned and left the room.

As she stood watching in shock and numbed horror at his retreating form she wondered if that was the last time she’d see him alive.

It wasn’t. When Slade had taken her Oliver had come for her. And when it was all over she’d asked him what had changed. He’d been quiet for so long she didn’t think he was going to answer. Then his lips brushed her forehead and he held her a little closer, “You reminded me I had something to live for,”

**  
  
**


	12. 2x21 Laurel

** A/N: Filler story for 2x21. There wasn't much in this one I thought needed expanded upon, but this small scene did pop into my head and I wanted to explore it. Not my typical thing, it's Laurel heavy so fair warning, but it was something I wanted to do.  **

 

** Enjoy!  **

 

 

“I’m sure what you do is important. I’ve suspected he’s had someone helping him with this for awhile even before I knew who he was. But he’s the one putting his life on the line, not you!” Laurel’s stance was wide and strong, most likely echoing how she looked in court. 

Felicity felt her breath catch and whether it was psychosomatic or a very peculiar coincidence, the scar on her back chose that moment to throb. The nerves were still raw as they slowly healed, and she’d almost gotten used to the random flashes of pain that never failed to catch her off guard. 

It was Digg that stepped forward before she’d had a chance to put her thoughts in order. Digg who had never had any love lost for gorgeous Laurel. Digg who had walked away once because of Oliver’s blind spot for the misguided lawyer who stood in front of them. 

“If you truly knew Oliver and truly understood what we did you wouldn’t be saying that.” 

Laurel had the good grace to look slightly chagrined, “I’m sorry, you clearly serve a more hands on role. But...Felicity...what risk is there behind a computer screen. You can’t think that--”

“Stop,” Digg said forcefully, physically placing himself between the two women. Felicity was beginning to find her normally long fuse becoming shorter and shorter the more Laurel talked. “Ms. Lance….Laurel...I know you care about Oliver and this is all new and a surprise to you.” he paused and let out a long sigh as if he was contemplating if he should keep speaking or not, “No one on this team has gone untouched. We’ve all been injured, all taken bullets, Felicity included.”

The look of shock on the other woman’s face was something she was sure she’d never forget. 

“You…?” 

“She saved the Canary.” Digg said with emphasis and Laurel jumped, wide eyes swiveling from Digg back to Felicity. It was all the confirmation they needed to know she knew her sister’s secret identity as well as Oliver’s. 

“Oh my god,” 

“Easy decision,” Felicity said with a shrug, “We’re a team...a family. Taking a bullet for her…” she trailed off because Laurel looked liked she’d been struck. 

As she processed what she’d learned Felicity stepped around Digg and approached her. “This isn’t a zero-sum game. You don’t need to prove your place in Oliver’s life, or stake a claim to it. It’s there. You’ll always have it. But what we do...it’s important. We’re partners. Ultimately it’s up to Oliver how involved you are in all of this. He’s not perfect,” she gave Laurel a small grin and half a shrug, “But he’s also not the man you knew.”

Laurel took a moment longer and then Felicity watched as she visibly collected herself, swallowing hard as her shoulders came back and her chin lifted. “I think...I think I’m beginning to realize that.” 

She took a step closer, “Thank you. For saving, Sara...I...we couldn’t have lost her again. I’m sorry I…”

“It’s okay,” Felicity told her, eyes trailing to where Oliver still sat slumped over her desk sleeping off the remnants of the tranquilizer. Her heart clenched as she remembered the way he’d looked at her before he’d left. They were never going to let him sacrifice himself to Slade, but Laurel contacting them with the information about Blood had given them new ammunition. 

Laurel followed her gaze and let out a long breath, “Blood’s going to level the city with Slade’s help and then have free rein to do whatever he wants in the aftermath.” 

Felicity moved forward until she and Digg were flanking Oliver and turned to look back at Laurel. “We’re not going to let that happen,” 

 


	13. 2x23

** A/N: Potential spoilers for 2x23 although this is more my thoughts/predictions than anything based off of a spoiler. Just a little thing about how I could see the end of the finale going.  **

 

** Enjoy, and let me know what you think! **

 

The journey back to Lian Yu was easier on her second trip. There was a chartered flight to Shanghai and then a boat that left Felicity decidedly green and Oliver white knuckled with Digg watching both of them carefully. 

Slade’s ashes were in a sealed urn inside a specially designed case that Oliver had hardly let out of his sight since they’d left Starling City. 

_“Go back,”_

Those had been the first words he uttered when he woke up in the hospital after his battle with Slade. He’d known the other man had died before he’d passed out from his injuries. Felicity would never forget the way his eyes had glazed over, almost as if the life had left them. For a second she’d felt true and total desolation until she’d seen the shallow rise of his chest. She’d managed to half crawl her way to his side, the stab wound Slade had left in her shoulder coupled with her head injury making her weak. 

Digg had found them, her hand limp over Oliver’s shoulder where Slade had left him a mark that matched hers. She remembered trying to stem the blood flow, thinking it seemed to be so much more than what was seeping from her own wound but spots were dancing in her vision and her voice was slurred and sounded far away when she tried to get Oliver to wake up. There were hazy memories of her trying to reach for him as Digg carried him away and Roy slid his arms under her.  

It wasn’t fair that they both almost died right after Oliver had said he loved her. 

Truths had been spilled as easily as blood that night although they seemed to now leave a deeper stain neither of them was ready to deal with. Slade’s plan all along had been to make her his last target and it had taken both her and Oliver far too long to understand why. 

As long as she lived she’d never forget the cold sting of steel against her throat or the slow dawning realization that crossed Oliver’s eyes as Slade informed them exactly why he’d chosen her. 

It had taken her longer to catch on. So long that she’d already offered herself up in place of Laurel who struggled against the hold of one of the soldiers just out of Felicity’s field of vision. The stricken look on Oliver’s face hadn’t been something he could hide and Slade saw and howled with laughter. 

From that moment forward Oliver’s pleas were with her and not Slade. He begged her not to do this. Begged her not to give up. Begged her not to leave him. 

It was the last one that made her open tear filled eyes and stare at him in shock. For a moment they were the only two in the room. That’s when he told her he loved her. 

The words had tripped over his tongue so quick and fast and thick she knew they had surprised him as well. But behind them was truth. Pure, genuine truth and it was that tiny spark of hope for something she had never allowed herself to even consider that made her think they had a chance to win. 

She’d set her jaw as a peace settled over her and gave Oliver a smile that let him know whatever the outcome this was her choice and she’d always be his girl. 

Then she’d pulled the last syringe of the cure from her pocket and slammed it into Slade’s thigh. 

Everything after that was too quick to process. There had been a roar of noise and sharp blinding pain as she fell to the ground, her back and shoulder on fire. When she’d been able to look up all she could do was watch helpless as Slade and Oliver battled. Even with the cure working it’s way through him he was still deadly. 

She didn’t see the final blow but she’d heard Oliver’s pained cry before he stumbled back towards her and collapsed. 

There wasn’t a chance to talk for three days. She’d woken up in the hospital before he had, arm in a sling and the assurance that her concussion wouldn’t cause any lasting damage. As she sat by Oliver’s bed she had time to think about what he’d said. She wasn’t going to ignore it but she’d also known it had been said in desperation and they both deserved for it to be more than that. 

When Oliver had regained consciousness and immediately began talking about returning to Lian Yu to bury Slade next to Shado she’d jumped in with both feet; siphoning funds from Slade’s many holdings that had yet to be frozen, ordering supplies with Digg’s help, and doing whatever else was needed to help Oliver finally put this chapter of his life to rest. 

Oliver never mentioned what had happened or what he had said. They seemed to have come to some sort of mutual unspoken understanding. It was there. It was acknowledged. That’s all it needed to be just then. It didn’t change how she felt about him. It didn’t change how he was the most important person in her life. 

Which is why the three of them were once again halfway around the world only five days after Starling burned. Her arm was still in a sling, Oliver had checked himself out of the hospital against medical advice, and Digg spent too much time shaking his head at them. 

But they understood why he had to go back and why it had to be then. Slade needed to be finished. And Oliver felt like he owed it not only to his former friend but also to Shado to make this final journey. 

Felicity hadn’t been able to quell the knot of anxiety that began to churn in her stomach as the island came into view. When they’d anchored offshore the same beach she and Digg had parachuted onto she couldn’t take her eyes off the mask with the arrow through it that was still there. 

Even as Digg steadily rowed them closer in the smaller boat her eyes had remained fixed on the mask until Olive had reached over and covered her hand with his. 

He hadn’t let go as they climbed onto the shifting sand, or as they trekked through the jungle. Digg had cracked a joke about land mines but Oliver had just held her hand tighter. 

When they made it to the graves a somber silence fell over them. John had offered to dig the space for the urn but Oliver turned him down with a sharp tick of his head. Felicity stood back and watched with tears in her eyes as Oliver ignored his pain and took the small collapsible shovel Digg removed from his pack. 

Without a word Oliver moved to the left of Shado’s grave and began to dig. Felicity couldn’t help staring at Robert Queen’s final resting spot as his son worked only a few feet away. The horrors Oliver had experienced on the island went deeper than the scars that littered his body and the small plat of earth they stood on was a stark reminder. 

Oliver dropping the shovel made her jolt out of her own thoughts and she was moving towards the case before she could think. With one shaking hand she undid the closure and opened the lid, turning it so Oliver could remove the urn. 

Digg’s hand was at her elbow helping her to stand and she stepped backwards to give Oliver room. 

He knelt down, head bowed as he slid the urn home. There was a long moment where time seemed to still and the normal sounds of the jungle seemed to mute. With her heart in her throat she watched him lay a hand on Shado’s grave and then on the urn before looking at the marker with his father’s name. 

She didn’t know how long he stayed there, but when he finally stood all the tension had drained from his shoulders and there was ease about him she hadn’t seen in a long time if ever. 

Later she’d wonder if she had moved first or if it had been Digg’s gentle hand on her back nudging her forward. Regardless she was at Oliver’s side in an instant, her hand slipping into the crook of his elbow. 

He’d smiled down at her, a light sparking in his eyes that made her vision blurry and her heart swell. 

Like he’d done it a million times before he turned to her, both arms banding about her to draw her into his chest. With her injured arm tucked between them she let out a long sigh and let him hold her, good hand softly running over the back of his neck. 

She felt the slight pressure as Digg dropped a hand on Oliver’s shoulder before he moved past and then it was just the two of them. 

Hesitantly she looked up at him through her lashes, over the the frame of her glasses to see him looking at her like a man who knew what he wanted; a man who thought he deserved a future. 

She let her hand come forward to cup his jaw, nails scratching lightly through his stubble as they silently came to an understanding. 

He dipped his head at the same time she pressed up on her toes, mouths meeting in a slow wet slide that lasted forever because they knew it would be the only one. 

One kiss. One. 

Not forever, but this was too important. They were too important. It couldn’t be rushed. It couldn’t be lost. 

When they pulled back she wanted to go against everything she knew was right. He’d stoked a fire inside her that was quickly growing into an inferno, but as he held her face in his hands and pressed his lips to her temple she felt that fire quiet some, knowing as long as they held course the reward would be even richer. 

He’d whispered a soft thank you that she returned before he took her hand again and led her back to the beach. 

They spent the night on the island, but not in the wrecked fuselage. Oliver was through going backwards. His eyes were on the open water, and their boat anchored offshore, away from the sunken freighter. He was focused on getting back home. 

As she lay in her sleeping bag staring at millions of stars she’d never been able to see before she thought about the raw beauty of the island and how it had sculpted and formed Oliver into the man she knew today. She give up her own soul to save him from pain but she also understood the importance of what the island had given not only to her but the city as well. 

Oliver and Digg still sat up, staring into the black water with driftwood at their backs, not talking but not needing to. She thought about joining them, but the warmth of the fire and slap of the waves on shore was surprisingly peaceful. Felicity fell asleep feeling safe and protected, in the one place she probably shouldn’t. 

When they left at sunrise Oliver never looked back and she didn’t either. Eventually she couldn’t resist the urge and cut her eyes over her shoulder but all there was to see was open water, as if the island had never existed. She stepped closer to him, sliding her smaller hand over his larger one until her fingers could slip between his. 

He’d get to mourn now. It was something he’d never allowed himself, his guilt getting in the way of properly letting go of the most important people in his life. But he was ready. He was ready to go back and help rebuild not only the city but himself.  She could tell he was finally ready to see himself as a hero. 

  
  
  



	14. 2x23 post

** A/N: I've got about eleventy hundred fic ideas for after the finale. This is just one of them. Spoilers for 2x23 **

 

** Enjoy, and let me know what you think!!  **

 

 

The wait to find out Oliver’s fate was worse than having to wait alone in the mansion for Slade’s men to come take her. The Lance sisters were comforting each other with Nyssa looking on, but Felicity couldn’t keep from pacing a short track back and forth on the plaza Sara had taken them to.

“We’ll know soon enough,” she’d said, trying to put her fears at ease but Felicity could see the worry in her eyes. Felicity’s comm link had been taken from her and not knowing what was going on with Oliver and Digg was wearing at her.

Still shaking from the adrenaline high she’d been on since Slade had first put his blade to her throat she wrapped her arms around her middle and tried not to think the worst. Even though she’d understood Oliver’s plan as soon as he’d pushed the syringe into her hands she hadn’t really let herself think about what it meant, just that she had to find a way to make it work. There were lots of things she wasn’t letting herself think about that had happened that night.

Just before she could fall back into memories from the mansion and the way Oliver had looked there was the whirl of a helicopter from behind her.

Sara started forward but stopped when they saw Digg in the open door, smiling down at them. Felicity felt the breath leave her lungs as she let out a relieved gasp, already moving forward as Digg lept from the chopper before it had even touched down.

She crashed into his chest and immediately began asking questions, “Slade...the drones...Oliver? I lost my comm and…”

Digg’s hands settled on her shoulder and squeezed once. “He did it, Felicity, it’s over. Waller called off the drones in time,”

“Oh!” for a moment it was all she could say, her hand coming up to cover her mouth but Digg just smiled again in understanding.

“Good,” she said slightly choked, “I mean...I didn’t know it was going to work. Letting yourself be a trojan horse...I’ve done it with computers but never with my own self.” a nervous laugh emerged as Digg stepped back slightly, brow quirking in confusion. “I used that move you taught me though, the one where you slam your stick backwards without looking. Except it wasn’t a stick, it was a syringe filled with the cure, but it was still the same you know and I kept my elbow up and everything. Funny the stuff you remember…” she trailed off because the look in his eyes was going from worry to understanding and quickly to anger,

“I’m guessing by the growly face Oliver never told you about our plan, huh?”

“No, he did not,” Digg replied, clipped and short as he crossed his arms over his chest and looked down at her sternly,

“Okay, well...it all worked I mean Slade never saw it coming and that was not a crack about him only having one eye…”

“You offered yourself up as bait?”

Swallowing hastily she adjusted her glasses and looked down before answering, “Not exactly offered. Look...that’s not important. The important thing is that it worked and he underestimated me. I was able to inject him with the cure and…” she trailed off as her eyes unknowingly filled with tears, the true fear she’d felt suddenly overwhelming her,

Digg sighed heavily and gave her a long look she knew meant he was going to stop asking questions for now but they’d be revisiting this conversation before he reached out and pulled her in for another hug. “I’m just glad you’re okay,” he said softly as she sniffled into his shirt, “Ready to go get our boy?”

“Yeah,” she nodded and let him lead her to the chopper,

Less than a minute later they were on the roof, Oliver standing twenty feet from where Slade was tied to a pillar.

The bow was almost limp in his hand, hood pushed back, and he looked more tired than she’d ever seen him, but when he heard the chopper and looked up their eyes met and she could see the change in him and her heart swelled with pride.

Digg helped her down and as much as she wanted to race across the open space she held herself back. But he didn’t look away for a second and she could see all the raw, wild emotion that ran through him just then. Everything was too present, too real, too much.

Digg was a step ahead and reached him first, hand coming out to clap him on the back, “Good job,” he said softly and Oliver nodded as she joined them.

“Looks like you did it,” she said quietly motioning with her head towards Slade,

“We did it,”

And for a second the world fell away leaving nothing but the two of them.

“We did it,” she confirmed in a voice so affected hardly any sound came out but his smile was all she needed to see to know he’d heard her.

Lyla approached from behind breaking Felicity’s gaze from where it was locked on Oliver,

“Waller’s ready to transport him,” she said, tipping her chin in the direction of a second chopper that was setting down, a team of armed ARGUS agents emerging.

“Where are you taking him?” Oliver questioned,

“Right now, to a temporary holding facility at headquarters. After that it’s up to you and Waller,”

She gave him a dip of her chin and slid her hand down John’s arm to grasp his hand, “Ready?”

Felicity couldn't help the way her eyes darted from the small moment shared between the couple to Oliver who seemed to be looking as well.

Then they were heading back to the helicopter where she was sandwiched between the sidewall and Oliver in the back row, his thigh quiver pushing painfully into her leg but not enough for her to say anything. His warmth and presence was what she needed as they flew high over the city and saw the carnage that lay below.

When she couldn’t hide her tears his hand reached over and found hers, gloved fingers squeezing tight and she clung to him until they set down on the roof of ARGUS’s headquarters.

The following few hours were a whirlwind. Lyla had taken pity on her and given her a change of clothes and pointed out a place where she could shower and clean up. After that she’d wandered the halls until she found her way back to the room where Oliver and Amanda were still hashing out the details of Slade’s detainment.

Felicity fell into a chair out of the way, the past day catching up with her, suddenly feeling every ache from the van crashing, and the throb in her left shoulder where Slade had kept her arm wrenched behind her back.

She hadn’t meant to fall asleep, but when she woke up she smelled something familiar and comforting and blinked open blurry eyes to see the dark green of Oliver’s hooded jacket only inches from her face. As she sat up slowly it slipped down off her shoulders where it had been laid and she grabbed it before it could hit the floor.

Looking around she didn’t see anyone close by and with a groan she forced herself to her feet, jacket clenched in one hand.

As soon as she came around the corner she saw him, now in dark jeans and a pullover, face a mess of cuts and bruises, but with that same lightness about him that hadn’t been there before.

“A plane already left with Slade, I was waiting on you…”

“Where are we going?” she asked without hesitation, because she knew she’d never let him take this final step alone, and as Digg stepped up to join them she knew he wouldn’t either.

“Lian Yu,” Oliver answered,

Of course. There was no other option.

She took a deep breath and shifted forward, giving him a tight lipped smile, “I’m ready,”

  
  



	15. 2x23 future

**A/N: Yes, another post finale fic. I can't seem to stop! This is a little different in that it's set in the future and is them looking back at the moment in the mansion. Just a short little scene that popped into my head. Hope you like it. Let me know what you think!**

He didn't know when she'd started doing it, but it hadn't been right away, that much he knew. It had been a few months into their new relationship before he noticed. Her fingers would skim over his scars. New ones, old ones, but they'd always come back to one she knew the story to. Those she'd focus on, lightly tracing them, sometimes kissing them. When the scar was large enough and the nerves long gone he always lamented not being able to feel her touch.

Sometimes she'd bring up the circumstance. For some of them she remembered the 'anniversary' if it was especially significant. The one his mother had given him was a particular favorite. She always smiled and teased him about how hard it must have been for him to try and cram himself into the backseat of her little car.

Sometimes she'd become quiet. The new scar too close to his heart was one of those. She never talked about that one. She'd just lay her cheek down, and be still, and he'd let her while he stroked hair out of her face until she had listened to his heart thumping long enough to soothe her.

That night as they lay in bed she'd been running one hand through his hair, the other working on her tablet as he actually allowed himself to rest, head pillowed on her stomach. When she stroked over one spot near his right eye he felt the small huff of laughter she gave just before she spoke.

"You got that one from Slade," she said softly, "Blends in with your wrinkles though,"

He started, a protest on his lips as his head lifted until she laughed again, "Settle down," she said and he succumbed to the slight pressure of her hand, "Can't take the pretentious party boy out of the billionaire…"

He let out a huff of his own, although his was disgruntled, and retaliated by sliding a hand under the loose tank top she wore, her warm skin smooth under his palm.

"I knew you were telling the truth that night…" she began, voice a little shaky and he tried to turn and look at her but she wouldn't let him, "You've never been able to lie to me,"

"Felicity…" he couldn't hide his surprise, they'd never talked about it again after they'd left Lian Yu. Now they were over a year past that day,

"You didn't mean to say it, did you?" he hadn't heard her that shy and hesitant in a long while, and this time he did roll over and push himself towards her so he could see her face,

"No, I didn't," he admitted, eyes locked on her. He'd said it a hundred times since then and so had she,

Her fingers danced over his stubble, going to the corner of his mouth to pull up slightly, something she did when she thought he was being too serious. He'd never been able to fight the need to smile in response.

"Doesn't mean I didn't mean every single word,"

"Oh I know. Can't lie to me, remember?" her eyes sparkled and he slid higher, hand moving up to slip over her ribcage.

"We weren't ready then, and later, once I'd had some time to process it all I understood. That plane ride to China gave me a lot of thinking time. I know you probably felt bad about it because you're the king of the man guilt and were always taking on problems that weren't yours to take on." He must have pulled a face because she cocked her head to the side and lifted one brow, "You know you did that, and still do from time to time." she said pointedly, "But it was probably the best thing you could have done."

"Why's that?" he asked, propping his head up on the heel of his hand as he leaned closer,

"Because it was the first time I ever had the thought that you could really see me like that." she said sincerely, "If you hadn't...who knows how long it would have taken us to get here,"

He had nothing to say immediately, just pulled her towards him so her back was to his front, hand still splayed wide over her middle. She let out a content sigh as he nosed her hair out of the way and dropped a kiss to her shoulder. As she pressed back into him her shirt slipped down allowing him to work his lips on a path towards the scar on her shoulder. That was something he'd found himself doing as well, making sure to kiss the reminder of the bullet she'd taken for Sara any chance he got.

He felt her shiver at the contact like she always did and he couldn't help grinning into her skin. "We still would have gotten here, but I'm glad it was sooner rather than later,"

She sighed again, relaxing into his arms. As he held her tighter a thought hit him and he bent his head until his lips just brushed the shell of her ear.

"Don't forget though, I said it first,"


	16. Chapter 16

Even after three months Oliver still hadn't gotten used to the new lair. Face pulled into a grim line he punched in the security code and waited impatiently for the single metal garage door to open off the deserted alleyway. There were multiple access points in and out of this facility which he did find useful, but it had taken him too long to realize what exactly about the new place left him on edge all the time.

Of course it was Felicity who put it into words.

"No stairs." she'd suddenly blurted out one night when he'd come around the corner and spotted her at her computers.

He'd just quirked a brow and put his bow away as he waited for her to explain.

"I mean, there are stairs," she said with a hand waving over her shoulder, towards the steps she and Digg typically used during the day, "But they're concrete and hidden and...it's the not the same. As quiet as you can be I could always hear you on those metal stairs at the foundry. It was…" she fiddled with her necklace and turned back to her screens before she chanced a quick look his way, "It was what I would listen for. Even when I knew you'd be coming ho- back safe, I'd still listen and…" a flush crept across her neck and jaw and Oliver realized he'd become frozen as she'd talked, one hand paused at his wrist in the process of pulling his gloves off.

She gave a self-conscious shrug and dipped her head, "Anyways, sorry, it's just...it's been bugging me why this place doesn't feel right yet and I think that's it." she threw him a quick, tight lipped smile and adjusted her glasses, "I'll just have to find a new thing to listen for. Too bad I can't hear the garage door from here,"

They held their gaze for a few seconds too long and then she was rolling her chair sideways to look at the far screen and he finally felt like he could look away. He took his time changing out of his suit, unable to keep his eyes from flicking to her. Because what he'd never admitted, and what he could never tell her was he knew exactly what she meant.

The sound of the heavy metal door clanging shut behind him as he started down the steps had meant safety, and security, and eventually it began to mean home. He also couldn't tell her that his pulse usually didn't begin to settle until he'd made it far enough down the second set of steps to see her blonde head in her spot, safe and sound. The fifth step down is when the tension could begin to ease out of him. And long before then he'd always be able to hear the comforting click of her keyboard.

Coming in through the garage in the new lair forced him to go through a low, compact tunnel that was dimly lit and kept him from seeing her until he emerged into the main area all at once. It was like a narrow river emptying out into a large sea off the face of a cliff with no estuary to ease him in. Just dark to light, no transition, no warning, no time for him to make the switch from Arrow to Oliver even though he knew she'd seen all sides of him and still knew who he really was.

Maybe that's why it always left him so on edge. He couldn't prepare for her. He couldn't take in the quiet comfort and security that he greedily took from her because he didn't think he knew how to breathe until she was working with him at his side.

The steps at the foundry gave him those few seconds where he could see her and hear her and let her presence wash over him. He'd found he was more tight when returning from missions now. It took longer for him to shake the weight of the hood and keep his emotions in check. She probably thought it was all still fallout from Slade but...how could he tell her she was the one who kept him sane and kept him whole. He already took so much from her, he couldn't put that burden on her as well.

Because he hadn't lied. He hadn't meant to tell her he loved her that night. That had never been part of the plan. But he had an army to fight and there were missiles pointed at his city and his last hope rested in the hands of the woman who had proven herself again and again to be the bravest person he'd ever met. And if it all went to hell it wasn't a risk he was willing to take.

He'd been just as surprised by his admission as she had. He had needed her to understand that when he pressed the syringe into her hands it wasn't just a ploy, it wasn't just a ruse. But he'd still walked out of the door that night wondering if he'd gone too far, and if she truly did understand.

When they'd all survived he had a long flight to realize that in the aftermath, once the smoke cleared, he couldn't be what she needed. Not yet. Maybe not ever. He wanted to be though.

He'd watched her sleep on the plane, curled in a small seat, face pale with the bruises standing out stark on her fair skin. He remembered the few seconds of blinding panic when the van had crashed and he didn't know if she'd survived. Remembered the way she'd been limp in his arms. For a moment he couldn't breathe.

Somewhere over the Pacific he made the decision to tell her it had been a trick, that he hadn't meant it. He knew it would hurt her but he knew he could hurt her more in the future and that was something he wasn't willing to risk.

But then she'd stood there on the beach at Lian Yu and told him how unthinkable it was for them to be together and he couldn't bring himself to do it.

He'd never been able to lie to her. That had always been his problem.


End file.
